After unveiling the facelift for the panther and other new branding materials for the district at its Institute Day for teachers last week, the district showed off the designs at this morning's special meeting for the Pelham Board of Education.

"We're really excited about how this will create a path forward for a consistent look across all of our schools," Nicole Knight, the district's communications manager, told the board.

She emphasized the new mascot logo has not been adopted and it awaits feedback from the community. "We're interested in hearing what the community has to say about it," she said.

The proposed changes include a new face for the panther mascot, described in promotional materials as "fresh, confident and visually striking."

"The visual foundation is built upon two stylized 'P' letterforms, a feature that undeniably identifies this panther as the 'Pelham Panther,'" according to information distributed by the district. "And because it's completely unique, not replicating commonly used clip art or mascots from other schools, our brand will be strengthened for years to come."

Knight said the effort to revise the branding materials for the district arose in past months as ongoing improvements were happening within the schools.

"The branding project we began started earlier this summer when we were finalizing plans for our gym renovations and we needed to determine what our new logo on the floor would look like," she said.

The effort involved a comprehensive look at all visual brands for the district including a new logo, a new "P" for the district, a font for the "Pelham Panthers" name and a color scheme.

"We will begin implementing these elements as the new school year begins," Knight said, noting that it will be a gradual process.

In the promotional materials outlining the proposed changes, the district stated about the new visual elements: "As our system moves forward with initiatives that create a culture of innovation, excellence and pride in all we do, we've created a new look which represents our vision and is 'uniquely Pelham.'"

The district paid $3,200 to have the new logos designed by Brand Neue Company in Homewood, Knight said. The district will send surveys to students to gauge their reaction to the new mascot logo after school begins, she said.

Reporter's note: Updated at 11:33 a.m. on Aug. 11, 2015, to add information about the cost of the logos. Updated at 3:58 p.m. on Aug. 11, 2015, to clarify that the mascot logo has not been approved, but the other elements have been approved.